McLaren GT

McLaren 570S Overview

The McLaren GT is the British marque’s first ever dedicated Grand Tourer, introduced under an entirely independent GT range alongside the Sports, Super and Ultimate series lineup. Like all McLaren sport car ever produced, the McLaren GT is built around a lightweight carbon fibre tub. The bespoke super-stiff MonoCell II-T (Touring) is optimized for everyday usability, offering more luggage capacity and cabin space.

Compared to most of its rivals like the Bentley Continental GT and the Aston Martin DB 11 which are predominantly front-engined, the McLaren’s unique carbon monocoque structure allows the new McLaren 4.0 litre twin-turbocharged V8 engine to be rear-mid-mounted, greatly enhancing balance and handling. Weighing in at just 1,530 kg, it is quite simply the lightest and quickest accelerating car in the segment. All yours for RM 908,000 before taxes and options.

McLaren GT Exterior

The McLaren GT is beautifully proportioned, exemplified by its smooth and subtle flowing lines. Longer than other series-production McLaren models at almost 4.7m (Ultimate Series McLaren Speedtail is longer), the dynamically stretched silhouette with longer front and rear overhangs provide better aerodynamic efficiency while appearing more elegant and less aggressive.

Up front, the widely spaced jewel-like LED headlights with discreet McLaren branding accentuate the GT’s visual width while the arrow-shaped extended front splitter and lower bumper drives the nose down for the hunkered down stance.

The raised ground clearance makes maneuvering over tricky obstacles a breeze while the higher air intakes allow for slimmer duct openings. The high-temperature engine-cooling air intakes sit on the broad shoulder haunches behind the iconic dihedral door. Carbon clamshell design behind the B-pillars creates additional space for a larger rear luggage bay sufficient for a golf bag.

A full length powered and glazed rear tailgate allows an almost 360-degress visibility. The scalloped rear section underneath the integrated rear spoiler, slim LED taillights, rear diffuser and the twin tailpipe exits sum up the rear design of the GT.

The McLaren GT is the longest model in the current McLaren series production range. It is 140 mm longer than the McLaren 720 S with a 5 mm longer wheelbase. Being strictly a 2-seater only, it is still considerably smaller compared to most GTs with a 2+2 seating layout.

McLaren GT Interior

It is a more driver focused affair inside the McLaren GT, unlike the more extravagant interiors you find in most conventional Grand Tourer. McLaren 570s owners will not feel out of place with the floating style centre console and the cocooned driving positioned, though with a more refined appraoch here in the GT.

Hand-stitched soft-grain leather upholstery is standard, along with rich jet black Nappa leather headlining. The infotainment screen and air vents on the centre console are finished in satin silver and piano black decorative elements. Alcantara and even Cashmere fabric (first in a car) are available as options.

Next-generation ultra-durable materials such as the SuperFabric developed for NASA is used to line and protect the 420-litre luggage bay. The front bonnet offers an additional 150 litres of storage area.

The tactile knurled aluminium cockpit control knobs and the airliner-style overhead switches are milled from solid aluminium. And unlike the button-laden multifunction steering wheel featured on modern Ferrari models, McLaren’s button-less steering wheel is testament to their commitment to a driver-focused interior.

Perhaps what sets the GT apart from other McLaren is the sensation of space and airiness in the cabin. The expansive front windscreen, slim pillars, low windscreen scuttle and the glazed tailgate and C-pillars (only possible thanks to the ultra-stiff carbon monocoque) greatly enhances the all-round visibility. 

McLaren GT Features

As standard, all McLaren GT comes equipped with a 7-inch portrait-oriented touchscreen infotainment display and a 12.3-inch digital instrument display. Also included are dual zone automatic climate control, steering-mounted paddle shifters, McLaren four-speaker sound system, as well as manual adjustable seats. An optional 12-speaker Bowers & Wilkins premium audio system with carbon-fibre subwoofers and Kevlar mid-range drive units is also available for the keen audiophiles.

The GT also features McLaren’s trademark dihedral doors with soft-close function, staggered wheel-sizes comprising of 20-inch item (225/35R20 tyres) at the front and 21-inch (295/30R21 tyres) at the rear, and a powered tailgate with soft-close function as well. The optional electrochromic roof allows driver to fine-tune the level of natural sunlight into the cabin, changing the shades gradually from opaque to transparent at the touch of a button.

Technical highlights include the McLaren Proactive Damping Control suspension system, working together with the advanced Optimal Control Theory software (a more advanced version first used on the 720S and the McLaren Senna) to analyse road conditions ahead to adapt predictively and respond to the changing road condition while machine-learning it. As with every McLaren, there is an advanced ESC with brake steer system which slows the inside rear wheel to sharpen turn-in and reduce understeer, doing away with a traditional limited-slip differential.

McLaren GT Powertrain Performance

Powering the McLaren GT is a brand-new rear-mid-mounted 4.0 litre twin-turbocharged V8 engine derived from the 720 S supercar. It develops a staggering 620 PS and 630 Nm of torque. 0-100 km/h is dealt with in 3.2 seconds on the way to a top speed of 326 km/h (203 mph).

Thanks largely to its lightweight MonoCell II-T carbon tub, the GT tips the scale at only 1,530 kg and boast an immense power to weight ratio of 405 PS per tonne. It should come as no surprise then that the McLaren GT is simply the fastest car in its class, and that is saying something for a McLaren model where speed is considered of secondary importance.

The free-revving, flat-cranked V8 revs beyond 8,000 RPM but more crucially the boost now kicks in at as little as 3,000 RPM, partly due to a smaller turbocharger design among other things. The result is a smooth and seamless acceleration with a power delivery more suited to the character of a long-distance Grand Tourer.

Power is sent to the rear wheels via a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission (seamless shift gearbox). Selecting Comfort mode on the Active Dynamics Panel, the transmission hunts for the highest possible gear for the most efficient drive accompanied by a softer exhaust note during cruise. In Sport or Track mode, the gearshifts quicken and the roar from the exhaust is amplified.

McLaren GT Fuel Consumption

McLaren GT Ride Comfort

Like all GT, particular attention has been put on the ride comfort on the McLaren GT. At the heart of the chassis is the ultra-stiff MonoCell II-T carbon monocoque and the lightweight aluminium double wishbones and uprights. Coupled with the continuously variable, electronically controlled dual-valve dampers (Proactive Damping Control), it allows individual compression and rebound performance on each wheel. 

With a longer travel than on any other McLaren, the McLaren GT offers a cosseting ride worthy of a Grand Tourer, without compromising its sporty handling dynamics. Extra work has also been done to improve the NVH levels by insulating layers in the glass, applying special seals around the Dihedral doors and the wheel arch liners. Advanced materials are also used to dampen engine and transmission noise and the bespoke Pirelli tyres are engineered with a unique noise cancelling technology.

McLaren GT Conclusion

The McLaren GT drives very much like the 570 S but with enhanced refinement and ride comfort that rivals even the best of the front-engined in the class. That said, the rear-mid-engine layout whilst offers a significant advantage dynamically, it does impose on practicality and its Grand Tourer credentials. All in all, the McLaren GT is a compromised GT, but one that you would not mind if you love driving.